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United States - Trial of suspected perpetrator of Chauncey Bailey's murder to begin on May 18

Alleged mastermind's arraignment postponed again
MONTREAL, May 15 /CNW Telbec/ - The scheduled arraignments of former
leader of Your Black Muslim Bakery, Yusuf Bey IV, and his associate Antoine
Mackey have been postponed again yesterday until May 29, after Mr. Mackey's
court-appointed attorney expressed doubts about being able to take on the
case. Bey's lawyers also won a court motion temporarily preventing anyone
involved in the case from speaking about it.
Bey IV was Indicted on April 29 by a grand jury on three counts of murder
for allegedly ordering former bakery employees Devaughndre Broussard and
Mackey to kill the late Oakland Post's editor, Chauncey Bailey, before he
could publish a story about the bakery's financial problems. Broussard, who
had previously been the only suspect charged in Bailey's murder, will be tried
as of May 18, in Oakland, CA.
"The recent progress made on this case, almost two years after the facts
and despite an initial investigation marred by irregularities, should not let
up. We urge the court to maintain the May 29 arraignment and to set a trial
date for both Bey and Mackey as soon as possible" stated Reporters Without
Borders "We hope that all those involved in Chauncey Bailey's murder will be
punished, however, as an international human rights organization opposed to
death penalty, we we hope the court will not hand down any capital punishment
sentence."
Devaughndre Broussard, 21, has already admitted to killing Chauncey
Bailey as part of plea deal struck with the Alameda County district attorney's
office last month. He agreed to provide evidence that the journalist's murder,
as well as two other slayings, were ordered by Yusuf Bey IV. Under the deal,
Broussard will serve 25 years in prison instead of a life sentence. In
exchange he will testify, as he did to a grand jury last month, to Bey IV and
Mackey's involvement in the murder.
Yusef Bey IV is currently being held in custody without bail in an
unrelated kidnapping and torture case, while Mackey is in San Quentin Prison
on burglary charges. Both men have denied having anything to do with Bailey's
murder. If convicted, Bey faces the death penalty. Bey IV and Mackey's
indictments come after a lengthy investigation into Bailey's killing by the
Alameda County District Attorney's Office.
The Oakland police homicide investigator first assigned to the Bailey
case, Sgt. Derwin Longmire, has been suspended after he was found to have
compromised the investigation and had undocumented contact with Bey IV against
orders from his superiors.
Today's temporary gag order, issued by Alameda County Superior Court
Judge Allan Hymer, will be in place until at least May 29, when both Bey IV
and Mackey are scheduled to appear in court to enter a plea on three counts of
murder. Hymer also said the court will hear motions on May 29 which seek to
unseal transcripts of the grand jury testimony which lead to the indictments
against Bey IV and Mackey.